Apparatus for measuring the temperature of internal-combustion engines



J W.; HQBBS APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE TEMPERATURE OF INTERNAL GOIBUSTION ENGINE-s Sept. 14

Filed Magn 1o, 1920 Ill I.

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Patented Sept. 14, 1926.

UNITED STATES .TOEIN W. HOBBS, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA,

ASSIGNOR TO PKYRENE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE TEMPERATURE ENGINES.

OF INTERNAL-COMBUSTION Application filed March 10, 1920.y Serial No. 364,711.

My invention relates tointernal combustion engines which are cooled by means of air, water, or otherfluid to prevent the pistons or other load'operating elements from 5 being bound or cramped within the cylinders or other explosive chambers of the engines. The invention has for its object the provision of means whereby the 'temperag ture of the cylinder or other explosive chaml berof an internal combustion engine may be directly measured. l

Hitherto fluid lthermometers have been; employed for the purpose of measuring the temperature of the cooling fluid. Such thermometers as these are difficult to read, especially at night, and serve to convey no warning `in the event of the cooling lluid y ceasing to function, it being possible for an internal combustion engine to run sohot as to damage itself without any indication of the abnormal temperature condition there-` of. Moreover, when' fluid thermometers are employed upon an automobile they are apt to be influenced by the temperature of the air to such an extent as to fail t`o give the correct indication of the temperature of the cooling fluid. There rare many other disadvantages pertaining to temperature measuring equipment now in existence as will be manifest to those skilled in the art.

In practicing my invention I employ a thermostatic element'in metallic. connection with the ex losive chamber ot the engine to be directly influenced by its heat, a flexible shaft connected with saidthermostatic elevment to be actuated thereby, an indicator board to which the tlexibleshaft extends, and a temperature indicating pointer mounted to move upon the indicator board in front of the face thereof and connected with the flexible shaft to be moved thereby.l

In the preferred embodiment of the invention I employ a segmental toothed gear mounted to oscillate, a link attac-hed to and operated by the thermostatic element and connected with the segmental gear" between the pivot and teeth of this gear, a pinion in mesh with said gear, and a flexible shaft connected with the pinion to be oscillated thereby, this flexible shaft being connected to oscillate the pointer to indicate the temperature of the engine. f A I will explain my invention more fully lpivoted at 9 to oscillate.

by reference tothe accompanying drawing showing the preferred embodiment thereof and in which Fig. l illustrates a portion of an internal combustion hydrocarbon engine entering into the power plant of an automobile, .this figure also illustrating the dashboard o f an lautomobile which constitutes one form of indicator board embraced in the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Figl; Fig. 3 is a sectional View on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig.V 4 is a view looking at the front of the indicatorv or dash board showing the indicating mechanism upon the front face of such board. A

Like parts are indicated by similar char. acters of reference throughout the different figures.

The internal comb stion engine illustrated isof the reciproc ting type whose explosive chambers are in the form of engine cylinders l within which pistons 2 reciprocate. The engine shown is of the water cooled type, there being' an enclosing jacket I 3 spaced apart from the cylinders of the engine and which, in carrylng out my invention, is brought into metallic 'connection with the engine cylinders by means of metallic bridge portions 4. Any suitable form of thermostatic element is placed in metallic vconnection with the engine cylinders. The

thermostatic element illustrated includes metal formed into a bellows structure 5, filled with gas or liquid, and mounted to 'have metallic contact with the jacket 3 and 'therefore with the engine cylinders' 1 through the intermediation of the .bridge pieces 4:. In order that the thermostatic element may not be unduly influenced by the temperature of the surrounding air I enclose such element within a hood 6, thatmay be metallic,

suitable mounting bolts 7 passing through the base flange of the hood into the jacket 3. A segmental toothed gear 8 is mounted upon and within the hood 6, being A link l0 is pivotally attached at its lower end to the top portion of the thermostatic element. The upper end of this link is -pivotally attached to the segmental gear between the pivot of this gearl and the teeth of the gear whereby a given movement of the thermostat is accompanied by an am liied movement at the toothed portion o the gearing. A pinion and operated 11 is in mesh with the gear and is fixed upon one end of a shaft 12 which is made flexible in order that it may be extended through an irregular course to and through the indicator board 13 which, in an automobile, would be the dashboard. rllhe rear end of the flexible shaft is connected with the pointer 14 which is journaled within a bear- A ing 15 carried by the board 13 to oscillatebe-'- fore the front face of the board. The pointer may be provided with a scale 16 marked in temperature units. As the temperature of the engine rises the pointer will swing in a clockwise direction and as such temperature recedes the pointer will move in a counter clockwise direction, all through the intermediation of the exible shaft and gearing which is interposed between the pointer and the thermostatic element whose movement is directly controlled by the heat of the engine itself.

While the flexible shaft illustrated is preferably oscillated l do not Wish to be limited to the manner in which the shaft is moved in order to e'ect the proper indicating movements of the pointer.

Having thus described my invention ll claim as new and desire to secure by Letters lPatentV the following 1. ln a temperature measuring apparatus for internal combustion engines, the combination with an internal combustion engine; of a thermostatic element in metallic connection with the explosive chamber of the engine whereby said element is directly iniiuenced by its heat; a segmental toothed gear mounted to oscillate; a link attached to by the thermostatic element and connected tween the pivot and teeth of this gear; a pinion in mesh with said gear; a flexible shaft connected with the pinion to be oscil- 'lated thereby; an indicator board to which the flexible shaft extends; and a temperature indicating pointer mounted to oscillate upon the indicator boa-rd in front o the face withthe segmental gear be apparatus i of a thermostatic element assembled with the engine cylinder unit to be directly induenced by its. heat; a segmental toothed gear mounted to oscillate and having means by which it is actuated by said thermostatic element; a pinion in meshwith said gear; a iexible shaft connected with the pinion to be oscillated thereby; an indicator board to which the iexible shaft extends; and a te1nperature indicating pointer mounted to oscillate upon the indicator board in front of the face thereof and connected with the flexible shaft to be oscillated thereby i 3. ln a temperature measuring apparatus for internal combustion engines in combination, a heat responsive element adapted to' be assembled with the engine cylinder unit tobe directly influenced by its heat, including a member movable in response to heat changes and mechanism for converting such movement into a rotary movement; a temperature indicating device adapted to be mounted on a dashboard, and means including a Hexible shaft connecting it with said heat responsive element.

4. lin a temperature measuring apparatus tor internal combustion engines in combination, a heat responsive element adapted to be assembled with the be directly inuenced by its heat, including a member movable 4in response to heat changes and mechanism for converting such movement into a rotary movement; a tem# perature indicating device adapted to be mounted on a dashboard, and means for transmitting said rotary movement from said engine to said indicating device.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 26th day of February A. D.,

JoHN w. nomas. y

engine cylinder unit-to @0- 

